Special tax benefits for nonprofit organizations were created to encourage the work of nonprofits, but unclear rules from the IRS have hindered that work for too long. The IRS is currently revising a draft of new rules that could clarify the definition of political activity for nonprofits while protecting civic engagement.

The public comment period on the first draft of the rules has now closed, with more than 160,000 comments submitted. A new draft is expected in June 2015.

The IRS's proposed rule was a step in the right direction. Here are our first reactions.

We think new IRS regulations should be clear and predictable. Our full comment to the IRS expands on this idea.

Our partners at Independent Sector submitted a similar comment, which was signed by almost 100 organizations.